Texas man dies following accident near Sulphur

A Port Arthur, Texas, man died Monday morning after being involved in a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 10 near Sulphur, state police said.

Sgt. James Anderson, Troop D spokesman, said the crash happened around 10 a.m. when 52-year-old Varghese K. Paily attempted to pass an 18-wheeler and lost control of his Jeep, causing the vehicle to spin. The driver’s side of the Jeep then hit the back of a pickup, which was parked on the shoulder. The driver, Richard D. Schneider, 63, of Waveland, Miss. was inside it.

Paily and Schneider were both taken to a local hospital, where Paily was pronounced dead. Schneider suffered moderate injuries. Both men were wearing their seat belts, Anderson said.

“It was raining at the time of the crash,” he said. “Excessive speed for the weather conditions is suspected to be a factor in the crash.”

Impairment is not suspected but routine toxicology samples were taken from the drivers, Anderson said. The crash remained under investigation Monday night.

Anderson said that the posted speed limit “is often too fast for areas of poor visibility and/or slippery roadway conditions.”

Drivers should drive more slowly in rainy or foggy conditions and use their low beam headlights to improve visibility for other drivers, he said.